Ryan Coogler argues women are better filmmakers and would make movies better if they had more opportunities.
It took two years before Sylvester Stallone ever gave filmmaker Ryan Coogler a chance. Since then, he has helped make Creed a box office hit and breathed life into a dead franchise. Now, the director wants to give female filmmakers a chance.
In an intervie with Variety this week, the director of Creed and Fruitvale Station stated that female director’s don’t get the same job opportunities as men. In addition, he thinks women are better at directing than men.
They’re infinitely more complex than we are. Stronger and sharper. So, you know, we’re going to get better movies [if we have more female filmmakers].
After referring to Ava Duvernay as a “good friend” and a “special person,” Coogler made a very poignant comment to Variety, “I really feel like, you know — this is off the record — I feel like women are better filmmakers than men.” He goes on to say, “Put it on the record. I mean, it’s true, bro. In film school, life, whatever, they’re equipped to do this job, in many ways, better than us. They’re infinitely more complex than we are. Stronger and sharper. So, you know, we’re going to get better movies [if we have more female filmmakers]. The industry would improve. That’s the best thing I could say about that. They’ve got to be given the opportunity.”
The industry would improve. That’s the best thing I could say about that. They’ve got to be given the opportunity.”
Ryan Coogler also discussed how he focuses on writing movies where female characters are not dependent on men for personal growth. In Creed Bianca played by Tessa Thompson, the girlfriend of the main character box Adonis Creed, knows “exactly who she is.” Coogler adds, “She knows who she wants and that’s really what attracts Adonis to her… A man—not Adonis, not Rocky—is not going to change Bianca. The only person who’s going to change Bianca is Bianca.”
